Going Down
by FieryArtemis
Summary: Chat Noir and Nino are thrown into an elevator shaft during an akuma fight and have to figure out how to get back out again!


**A/N:** So this is the first of many prompts that were requested of me on Tumblr. This one is "stuck in an elevator" with Nino and Chat Noir specifically requested. I just want to point out how much I like writing these two best buds!

* * *

"Nino look out!" Alya yelled right as Ladybug called out, "Watch out Chat!"

Too late. By just a hair.

Chat Noir paled as he watched the table com rushing at him like a raging bull. Of course Chloe had to tick off a furniture mover in the middle of the hotel lobby… the place where there was a boat load of furniture for the akuma he'd become. He yelped in pain as it flipped end over end and smashed into him. Nino's cry of pain joined his own as they were both thrown backwards. There was a little ding, though, that was more concerning to Chat Noir than his friend's yell. _Uh-oh_ , he thought right as he and Nino flew through the malfunctioning elevator doors.

Pain cracked across the back of his head as he bashed it on the back wall of the empty elevator shaft before continuing a downward descent. Nino screamed, reaching a high octave that he probably hadn't been able to hit in years. Chat Noir reached out and grabbed his wrist. Some part of Nino's subconscious must have clicked into gear because his fingers wrapped around Chat Noir's wrist as well despite the obvious plummet induced panic. Chat Noir yanked his staff from his back as the top of the elevator came closer and closer by the second.

The ends shot out sideways. Sparks flew as it grated against the metal and concrete walls, slowing them down. "Oh holy shit. Holy shit!" chanted Nino as they slid.

"It's alright. I've got us! I've got us!" Chat Noir called down to him.

Bang! A shudder ran up Chat Noir's arm as his staff collided with a very solid something or other. His hand slipped from his staff.

"Nevermind. I don't got us." he yelled.

Nino let loose a curse that quickly descended into another high pitched shriek. The top of the elevator rushed towards them. Chat Noir grit his teeth as he jerked Nino up. It took all the strength in his arms but he pulled him up against his chest. _Plagg,_ Chat Noir thought, _now would be a really good time to land on my feet. Please…_

Thud!

Another shudder ran through Chat Noir. This time up his legs. They quickly turned to jelly and collapsed on him. "Woah!" he yelled as he fell forwards with Nino still in his arms bridal style. How _that_ had happened exactly was beyond him.

"Dude, as draining as that free fall was… can you, like, _get off_! You're crushing me!" Nino groaned from beneath him. Chat Noir moaned as he pushed himself back up on to his knees. He'd feel that one in the morning. "I thought cats were supposed to land on their feet?"

"I did land on my feet. It's the staying _on_ them that I haven't quite mastered yet."

"How far do you think we fell?" Nino asked as he craned his neck to look straight up. Probably trying to figure out exactly where they'd fallen in at.

Chat Noir's focus was a little closer to their position. His staff was still lodged firmly in place. "Farther than what I can jump by myself." he answered as he shifted to assess the walls of the elevator shaft. "Next time tell your girlfriend that an akuma fight is not the best place for a date will ya."

"Okay, first off Alya isn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend dude. Second off, we weren't on a date. We were interviewing Chloe. We're going to produce a documentary." Nino said, ticking the reasons off on his fingers.

Of course they were… Chat Noir wondered if the subject of this documentary was how most of these akuma could be avoided if Chloe was a hair nicer?

"What about your staff? Doesn't it do some crazy, unbelievable extending? Can't it reach to the place we came in at?"

"Uh yeah, about that. It appears as though we're in a _tight_ situation if you will." Chat Noir pointed out as pointed up at his staff. "That's not coming out by itself."

"Jump?" Nino suggested. The look on his face made it clear that he wasn't even sure about the idea.

"Again, too far and these walls don't have any good purchase meaning no climbing."

"So what's the plan instead?"

Chat Noir bent down and ran his hand along the top of the elevator. It wasn't ideal that was for sure. He'd have five minutes to get back up to the fight, help Ladybug defeat and cleanse the akuma, and then hightail it out of there so he could detransform in safety. Five minutes wasn't a lot. However, Chat Noir could do quite a bit with five minutes. On the other hand, if he misjudged things and ran out of time he would probably detransform in front of Nino. Not exactly the way he'd envisioned telling his best friend that he was a Superhero. He weighed the risks. Yeah. It would be cutting it close but he could do it! "Stand clear." Chat Noir told Nino, raising his hand into the air. "Cata-"

Somewhere above them there was a loud crash.

Nino and Chat Noir looked up. The auxiliary lights in the elevator shaft sputtered out. Everything plunged into pitch black darkness. Chat Noir blinked as his eyes adjusted and the night vision kicked in. "Your plan wasn't to break through the top of the elevator and ride it back up to the top was it?" Nino questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought it was a pretty bright idea."

"Was that seriously a pun? Right now? Do you think it's the best time."

"Yeesh! Everyone's a critic. You sound like Ladybug." Chat Noir whined.

"Do you have a plan B?"

Chat Noir chewed on his lip. Once more, his attention dragged upwards to his staff. His staff would be the quickest ticket out of the mess they were currently in. "Get my staff." he said.

"Okay, how are you gonna do it?"

That was an excellent question. His staff was so high up! He'd never retrieve it by himself. The plan that was forming up in his mind though was a bit too much like the ones usually Ladybug enacted. He wasn't so sure Nino was going to like that. Actually, scratch that. Chat Noir _knew_ that Nino wouldn't like his plan. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Nino went out and joined the down with Chat Noir club after this was all said and done.

"I'll need your help."

Nino's face lit up. Chat Noir could see the giant smile that literally stretched from ear to ear in the dark. "Really? The Chat Noir is going to need my help! What's the plan dude? I know! Have you ever seen _Emperor's New Groove_? We can totally walk up the wall back to back!"

"Um," Chat Noir winced, "first of all, I don't know if you've ever tried that but it's a lot harder than it looks by… a lot."

He and Ladybug had tried it once. It had been completely out of necessity. While he had enjoyed being back to back with his lady and able to enjoy her perfume, Chat Noir hadn't been keen on the way they kept slipping when one of them accidentally pushed too hard against the other's back. Chat Noir could feel the phantom bruises on his shins and knees just thinking about it! It had been a balancing act that had taken him and Ladybug the better part of a half hour to figure out. He and Nino didn't have that kind of time. That and Chat Noir was a whole heck of a lot stronger than Nino thanks to Plagg and his transformation. If Chat Noir misjudged too much then they would end up back on the elevator with Nino flat on his face with a possible broken nose. Chat Noir wasn't keen on crushing his best friend even if Nino had no clue it was Adrien beneath the mask.

Then there was the second very good reason.

Chat Noir waved his hand around the shaft. "Second of all, there's not really a place to do that sort of thing."

"Oh…" mumbled Nino. "So then what is the plan?"

"I'mgonnathrowyou!"

He said the words so quick as if that would make the idea sound better. "What?" Nino asked in clear confusion.

Chat Noir grimaced and pointed up towards his staff. "I'm going to throw you."

The smile vanished from Nino's face as his eyes bugged out of their sockets. "What!"

"I can see my staff. I'll just pick you up and toss you to it. Once you grab it, it should shrink. I'll catch you as you come back down."

"One question."

"Yes."

"How many times have you been hit in the head with Ladybug's weapon? I think you're insane!"

"Hardy har har." Chat Noir said. He rolled his eyes. "Listen, I know it isn't the greatest idea but given the time and circumstance it's all we've got."

Nino let loose a loud groan and clawed at his head. "You promise to catch me?"

"Of course."

"When I say catch me I mean like you'll keep me from crashing back down to the earth at the full force of gravity and not Bugs Bunny's way of catching Daffy Duck?"

"Who's Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck?" asked Chat Noir.

"Are you _serious_ right now!"

"Look! I promise I'll catch you now will you let me do it?"

"How about I do the throwing?" Nino shot.

"Do you have enough strength?" Chat Noir shot back.

Nino shot him a dirty look. Then he stepped forward, spread his arms out, and sighed. "Let's just get this over with okay."

"Thank you." Chat Noir exhaled and dropped to his knee. He interlaced his fingers together and held his hands out to Nino. "Jump when I tell you to and I'll throw you into the air. Grab my staff and we can get out of here okay."

"I can't see very well. You'll need to tell me when I get close." Nino put his foot in Chat Noir's hand.

"Okay. Up, up, and away! Jump!"

Chat Noir grunted as he pushed his hands upwards with Nino's jump. Nino gave a startled yelp as he sailed into the air. His arms pinwheeled at his sides. He was almost there. "You're…"

"Ow!" Nino cried as his head collided with Chat Noir's staff with a dull clang. The staff snapped back to it's small size and fell much faster than Nino. It hit the ground with a clunk about a foot or so away from Chat Noir.

Chat Noir jumped to his left a few inches and held his arms out. Nino landed in a nice little bundle in his arms, still rubbing his head. "See! I told you I would catch you." Chat Noir smirked.

"You were supposed to tell me when I got close to you staff." he whined as Chat Noir let him down.

"I was but it seems like you were perfectly capable of using your head."

He heard Nino groan as he bent over to grab his staff. Chat Noir flipped it over vertically and pressed a button. "I swear to God. You make one more bad pun bro and I will shove that staff down your throat."

Chat Noir only laughed as he grabbed Nino around the waist and let his staff carry them back up.


End file.
